The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 09, 1996
Filed:
Feb. 05, 1993
Phillip L Elliott, Fort Collins, CO (US);
Dwight D Birdsall, Norwalk, CA (US);
Lloyd F Linder, Agora Hills, CA (US);
Kelvin T Tran, Carson, CA (US);
Hughes Aircraft Company, Los Angeles, CA (US);
Abstract
A bias voltage source (20) produces a variable bias voltage (VBREF) which regulates the bias currents in an array (30) of transistor current switch cells (34,36) in an digital-to-analog converter (DAC). The bias voltage (VBREF) is applied to the bases of the regulating transistors (Q8') in the cells (34,36) to regulate the bias currents in their respective main transistors (Q6',Q7') to values proportional to the main bias current (IBIAS). Each main transistor (Q6,Q6',Q7,Q7') and regulating transistor (Q8,Q8') is provided with a compensating transistor (Q10,Q10')(Q11,-Q11') which sinks the emitter-base current thereof and cancels deviation of the actual current gain from the design current gain. Another compensating transistor (Q9,Q9') is connected to each regulating transistor (Q8,Q8') to cancel the effect of base-emitter voltage variation with temperature.